Although on paper I am seeking re-election to the Ward 5, Position 2 council position, I would be voted on by the entire city and, therefore, pledge to have continue my open communication with all citizens and work in a manner that promotes fair representation of citizens’ needs and wants, good stewardship of the City’s resources, and transparency of the council’s and City’s actions.

As a long-time citizen of Jonesboro, my desire is to see our city continue to prosper and make wise decisions in infrastructure, personnel and other areas that will allow all citizens to enjoy a quality of life that other cities of our size have been able to achieve and enjoy. 

During my professional career, I was consistently rewarded with increased responsibilities by my superiors due to my hard working, reasonable, and straight-forward approach.  These are the same qualities that I currently bring to Jonesboro as the Ward 5, Position 2 councilman. 

We all know that the most successful businesses are those that use their available resources the most wisely to invest in areas that maximize their use, retain current customers, and attract new customers.  As the City Council for Jonesboro, it is our duty to make sure that this is done to the highest level of confidence. 

Briefly, our current revenues must be invested in the areas I mentioned above the following ways:

  • Customers:
    • The citizens and visitors to Jonesboro should feel safe always.
    • They should be able to travel on well-maintained roads.
    • Recreation activities should be available for those that wish to participate in them.
    • Municipal services should be maintained at high levels.
    • Municipal employees should treat citizens and visitors with the highest level of respect.
  • Employees: 
    • A city of our level should be able to pay a competitive wage for all positions on a scale like other cities of our size. 
    • We must make sure that we are able to retain employees that are good at their job and are well trained.
    • We must make sure our employees are able to work in a safe environment.
  • Fixed Assets/Infrastructure:
    • Proper investments should be made on a scheduled periodic basis to ensure that our machinery & equipment is safe to operate and not obsolete.
    • Infrastructure such as roadways should always be maintained in conditions that are safe and clean.
    • City owned buildings and other infrastructure should not become eye sores and unsafe.
    • Improvements in infrastructure that contribute to improved quality of life should be looked at in good faith and due diligence done in a manner that leaves no stone unturned in providing these opportunities.
  • Expenses:
    • The operational expenses of the city should be overseen so that they are not waste and carelessly spent funds.
    • All policies and procedures regarding purchasing should always be followed.

The budget is not just an accounting document.  It is a management and planning tool.  The City Council serves as the voice of the citizens to help ensure that their highest priorities are addressed in the budget preparation. Therefore, the Council must work closely each year with the Mayor and City staff to develop the annual budget.  While the budget is being created, all parties must make decisions on how to utilize the limited revenues of the City to produce the greatest benefit for the citizens.

When priorities arise that are beyond the scope of current resources, the City Council has the duty and responsibility to work with the Mayor and other City staff to research new options to increase the revenue stream.  The potential options for the new revenue streams could include federal and/or state grants, new sales and use taxes, private donations, user fees, or any other number of potential items that are out there.

As these items are being looked at, it is very important to maintain a level of transparency with the citizens and other potential stakeholders.  The communication and education process to the citizens and others in the community cannot be overlooked and done in a manner that doesn’t lead to a full understanding of the impact not only on the daily lives of the citizens of and visitors to the city but also the ripple effects on the economy and other vital parts of the city. Jonesboro has to continue to invest in infrastructure and the people so that it remains a growing, competitive, desirable, and relevant piece of the puzzle for individuals and families looking for a place to call home, for industries and businesses looking for a new market, and for people wanting to visit places that are fun, affordable, and friendly.

Infrastructure investments such as the aquatics center and other quality of life items such as increased number of community centers to properly service a town of our size, a dog park, bike lanes, amphitheater, and a fine arts performing center are examples of improvements that other cities the size of Jonesboro or smaller enjoy but would have to have additional funds found to pay for them. 

Jonesboro has unique situations that does present challenges as we look where to invest our limited resources.  Jonesboro has a massive footprint of over 80 square miles which is almost as big as Conway and Springdale put together.  This presents challenges when it comes to areas such as maintaining streets, drainage, proper coverage from the police and fire departments and other infrastructure challenges.  When our city sales tax was voted on in 2000, it was done with the caveat that sanitation fees, mosquito abatement fees and personal property taxes would be done away with.  Our sales tax has done a nice job of growing over the years and I am thankful that it has remained somewhat stable during the 2020 tornado and COVID19.  Jonesboro’s 1% sales tax is among the lowest in the state especially for cities our size.  By not having the sanitation fees, mosquito abatement fee and personal property taxes that other cities with higher sales tax charge, our revenue is about $7-$9 million lower per year than it otherwise would be which limits the amount of investments we can make in our city rather it be infrastructure, employees, improvements etc.  This is the hand that we have been dealt so we must work with it which means we have to find ways to maximize the revenue we have with grant opportunities and, potentially, other avenues of revenue.

Thank you once again for taking the time to visit my webpage. 

I respectfully ask for your vote for my re-election on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.